Longtime UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier felt like he had to stick up for Luke Rockhold.

Although the former UFC middleweight champion might be training down in Florida, he will be a member American Kickboxing Academy for life. Thus, Cormier still has his back.

Cormier won’t let Alexander Gustafsson take a shot at his friend on social media and has responded to the title contender in a rant on Wednesday on Twitter.

Cormier went on record by stating that Rockhold should fight middleweight champion Robert Whittaker next even though he just lost to Yoel Romero at UFC 221 last week.

As for the reason, it’s due to the fact that Gustafsson was knocked out by Anthony Johnson before challenging Cormier for the title in 2015.

He wrote the following on his official Twitter account:

“Nice timing Alexander(kick him while he’s down huh). I got a better idea tho he doesn’t fight you next. He fights Robert Whitaker, I mean sometimes that happens right. You lose your way into a title shot! #thegustafsonway.”

Nice timing Alexander(kick him while he’s down huh). I got a better idea tho he doesn’t fight you next. He fights Robert Whitaker, I mean sometimes that happens right. You lose your way into a title shot! #thegustafsonway

‘It was tough because I fought him that way. I could have made the whole fight look like round 1. Think about this tho. He lost a 5 round stand up fight to me. By the end of the fight he was the one wrestling lol.”

“2015 was big year for me. With the way I won belt all the fake champ claims I felt I had to prove something. Had to do it better than Jones. Do something to try and clear the shadow a bit. So I fought him like that. We fight again tho he’s on his back whole fight.”

Cormier explained why he fought former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva the way he did at UFC 200.

“Hadn’t trained for him and I respected him. And the takedowns were so easy. He’s a legend I fought him smart. I am not afraid to stand with people.”

Hadn’t trained for him and I respected him. And the takedowns were so easy. He’s a legend I fought him smart. I am not afraid to stand with people https://t.co/clSuHq4lpS